Australian Masters Nats?? CRAZY FAST!!!

I agree 100%. I'd like to see us "flip" the seasons and have the May Nationals SCM and transform the Fall regional meets to SCY. I agree. :applaud:

Over in Sweden our Maters Nationals is SCM. Swedish Swimming Organization is working on getting a LCM nationals started. This year will be an unofficial LCM nationals. Next year sweden is hosting worlds, but the thought is that in 2011 we will have an official Masters Nationals in LCM. Very happy that Sweden will have a LC Nationals practice meet before Worlds next year! In Perth, I was amazed at the expectations of the competing swimmers. After the 2006 Worlds held in the USA and hosted by the Pacific Masters at Stanford, the bar was set so very high. I do believe every country has something unique to offer and finds its own way to please the visiting swimmers. You can ask around this forum... But I'm pretty sure that a nice temporary beach off the warmup pool with some of the native Swedes invited to relax around it with the swimmers might do it.

For those still interested in Daniel Kowalski's swims: Australian Masters Swimming Features Several FINA Masters World Records If a Masters world record is set, we tend to have a story about it shortly after it happens in our Masters news channel. Now, to return to the thread's tangent. I think USMS should alternate short course yards and short course meters at every spring nationals. Yes, some years will have a short course meters seasn lasting from Sept. 1 to May 31, but it would be fun. I guess the only problem is finding a pool that can handle two 25-meter courses.

But you could propose rules to help transition the move. Let the SCY age be on the last day of the year like your FINA age, and then propose that the relays bracket be determined by the total ages of the swimmers rather than the youngest swimmer. These are great suggestions. I've always especially disliked the current SCY relay rule. Julie and Michael are right though. SCY is very popular; it must be ingrained from youth in our swimming psyche. There is, to be sure, a shortage of SCM pools, especially here on the east coast. But, there is even resistance to turning certain SCY meets into SCM meets for fear of reduced attendance.

great idea Paul, right now SCM meters is the *** season for masters, fewest meets, usually the easiest top 10's & the softest records. problem is few facilities can run a nationals type meet with 2 25 meter courses and space to warm down. I agree 100%. I'd like to see us "flip" the seasons and have the May Nationals SCM and transform the Fall regional meets to SCY.

Federal Way is another pool that can accomodate two 25m courses. It is a 52m pool with two 1m bulkheads. 2006 NW Zones were the last (ok, only) time I saw it set up that way.

great idea Paul, right now SCM meters is the *** season for masters, fewest meets, usually the easiest top 10's & the softest records. problem is few facilities can run a nationals type meet with 2 25 meter courses and space to warm down. We need to start somewhere... Based on the assumption that SCM is not so popular, perhaps this meet would not be so large the 1st year out anyway. And or perhaps we need to consider making the National meet longer (fewer events per day) so that it can accomodate running 1 single pool. Guaranteed we cannot please everyone with the schedule of events over many days but it would be a way to start. (I imagine the schedule of events could lay out something like World's) Just thinkin of ideas on my laptop here...

I'm all for having a SCM National Championship and like Jeff's suggestion of rotating seasons as an option. However, I think the current "standard" SCY season is too long so that we could aim for a SCM Nationals in the early December time period (like when all the big regional meets are now) and have three nationals meets per year. Those folks who like to stick with the measurement rules that Mother England gave us a few hundred years ago can still be happy with having an SCY champs. While I recognize that Mel's suggestion of going through the rules/proper chain of command is the "official" way to do this, that seems too slow and antiquated to me. I think that the Power of Marketing and an entrepreneurial approach can be applied here in two simple steps: Someone call the Grunions and convince them to rename their December meet to the "Unofficial American SCM Masters Champs" or something so that it doesn't infringe on any USMS trademarks, etc. Publish the flyer, market the meet and make it so Maybe this would inspire others to create competing meets, each trying to outdo the other (better venue, more attractive order of events, location, etc.) to become the official unofficial SCM champs, etc. so that we let the "market" create the meet rather than the bureaucracy.

Most areas just don't have many SCM pools, and have very few SCM meets per year. Southern Pacific (where Ahelee swims) probably has more SCM meets than any other LMSC (5 per year, but only 4 last year due to one pool undergoing renovation). For another five meets you can travel to your immediate neighbor to the north. Where we have five SCM meets, Modesto, Mountain View, San Mateo, Sacramento and Walnut Creek. But we have no indoor 25 meter pools, so after the beginning of November, it does not look good for SCM meets due to weather. The SCY championships will draw about 800 swimmers and the SCM championships will draw about 400 swimmers. I agree 100%. I'd like to see us "flip" the seasons and have the May Nationals SCM and transform the Fall regional meets to SCY. Paul, you know how the rules are made, get the LMSC that you are currently living in or formerly lived in or one that is sympathetic to your desires and have them propose a rules change. Then the HOD will decide, I dont think it would be emergency legislation so you have a whole year to drum up support. But you could propose rules to help transition the move. Let the SCY age be on the last day of the year like your FINA age, and then propose that the relays bracket be determined by the total ages of the swimmers rather than the youngest swimmer. -michael

I guess the only problem is finding a pool that can handle two 25-meter courses. Heck, outside of the US swimming meccas (Florida, Texas, Arizona, California) I suspect you'd have trouble finding 25 meter options for any meets. Here in the Chicago area there are precious few 50 meter pools. They, can, of course, be set up for 25 meter swimming assuming they have the necessary bulkhead, but I suspect not all do, especially older pools. Even with the bulkhead you're unlikely to have a pair of 25 meter sections (unless the pool is 25 meters wide, which most appear not to be). Google tells me that 25 yards is 22.86 meters. If we just build all short course pools at 25 meters they could use a 2.14 meter bulkhead (plus-or-minus 3 cm) to allow 25 yard use. I'm only familiar with the bulkheads at Northwestern's 50m by 25yd pool. I wouldn't want to try getting them out of the pool without special equipment. Do they make "lightweight" bulkheads which could be placed without a crane? Skip